Facebook and Myspace
According to the website “Facebook” is a social utility that connects people with friends and others who work, study and live around them.
People use Facebook to keep up with friends, upload unlimited numbers of photos, share links and videos, and learn more about the people they meet.
Timewasting:
Facebook is now frequently used by employees during work hours on work computers and, as a result, employers have banned thousands of employees from using the social networking site.
With 31 million users worldwide and over 2 million in the UK alone, Facebook is something which employers cannot ignore.
Bringing the company into disrepute:
Facebook users often put very sensitive information onto the website about their personal lives and about their employers. A group known as ‘I have dossed around on Facebook all day and consequently have done no work’ has been set up and has over 240 members.
Business associates of the employer may also have access to the site and so the question as to whether the employee has brought the employer into disrepute arises.
Interview candidates beware:
Employers are increasingly using Facebook to search for information on interview candidates.
Employees should think about what is contained on the page and whether they would want their current or future boss to read it.
There are employment law risks associated with using social networking sites to vet job candidates these include:
- Not processing personal data fairly under the Data Protection Act 1998 and breaching guidelines in the DPA code.
- Claims for discrimination.
- Breaching trust and confidence.
Employers can make this practice safer if they:
- Tell candidates that websites may be used as part of the vetting process.
- Separate the web-vetting from recruitment decision making.
- Give applicants a chance to explain discrepancies in CV’s and applications.
- Ask if the job justifies such in-depth vetting and whether the information could be gathered in another way.
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